Author Topic: Constipated baby  (Read 4333 times)

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Offline troublechick

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Constipated baby
« on: August 21, 2009, 20:52:31 pm »
Hi everyone.
We are almost 5 months old, formula fed (combined BF with formula to 3 months old, after that only formula, then started hell) and for 2 months we had veeery bad constipation (couldn't poop without glycerin suppositories). So our pediatrician recommended prune juice (didn't help), changing formula (didn't help either) and at the end we tried pear puree and finally it helped!! So Alek eats every day (for 6 days now) pear puree and poops 1-2 a day.
My question is for how long should I give him pears, should I give him other fruits ( because he isn't 6 months old) I'm afraid he will be constipated again and would like to avoid this..
Moms help me please
Thank you

Offline We Three

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Re: Constipated baby
« Reply #1 on: August 21, 2009, 21:32:02 pm »
Hmmm....if it were me I'd keep the pears in his life for a long, long while!!   Since it's working, I might leave it just as it is for now. In a month when he's 6 mo, then add another fruit?   Or add a veggie and then a fruit a week later.  With constipation, it is extra-important to wait in between new foods, so you'll know what helps and what makes it flare up. 

Now that you see it's working, have you considered going to every other day? Our doc told us to give the prune/pear until she was going regularly...(even too much!) then to back off to every other day, then maybe every 3. The goal was to get her to poop once a day.

Don't want to scare you...but my dd is chronically constipated. For us, prune/pear would work for a while, then stop. Doc said she built up a tolerance....her body became used to them.  At 2 1/2, I still give her a pear/prune mixture about 3 times/week. I say this so you'll know what might be happening if it stops working as well as it is now.

Sorry...I'm all over the map here, aren't I?


Offline Nauvoo

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Re: Constipated baby
« Reply #2 on: August 22, 2009, 14:05:28 pm »
Even after starting my little one on solids, she's now 7 months, we have to add a teaspoon of corn syrup to her formula to make sure she isn't constipated.  I've been adding it for 4 months now and she hasn't been constipated since then.  She seems to be doing just fine with the little bit of corn syrup added.
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Offline Mimi 2

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Re: Constipated baby
« Reply #3 on: August 23, 2009, 02:00:28 am »
Pooping 1-2 times a day is normal, some have 3+ BMs.  If feeding him pears helps with his bm then it is fine to offer it every day.  The frequency is not as important as the consistency of the poos.  As long as it isn't hard/pebble like or very runny then it is fine. 

I agree with Amelia that once the bm are regular then you may want to offer it every few days and introduce other fruits for variety. 
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Offline troublechick

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Re: Constipated baby
« Reply #4 on: August 25, 2009, 21:19:03 pm »
Thank you for your answers :)

Amelia you were right.. Pears doesn't help anymore :( But I will give them anyway, my pedi says to combine with prunes, every second day other. So we will try prunes tomorrow. If this doesn't help, she will give me some lactose syrup, did someone try this?
I hasn't tried corn syrup yet, still learning about constpation in babies, so every information is helpful..

Offline We Three

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Re: Constipated baby
« Reply #5 on: August 25, 2009, 23:41:59 pm »
Ugh...sorry to hear that. Yes, maybe mix a bit of the prune into his pears....but in my experience (sorry!) that too will lose its effectiveness.  I still give the prune/pears a couple of times a week, and I think it *might* be helpful....but I'm lucky if my dd goes every 3 days. I try to relax, and think maybe that is normal for HER..... 

Hey maybe your lo will be different and this will work great...forever!

I know nothing about lactose syrup vs. corn syrup...but I suspect that they are much the same thing.  Karo syrup is something I have heard people have success with also.  Why do I feel like they are all the same??? Sounds like they are sugar-based?? Why does that make a lo poop??  I've never tried any of them...but I am starting to consider it.

Good luck, hun....!!!

Offline Rileysmum

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Re: Constipated baby
« Reply #6 on: August 26, 2009, 01:17:58 am »
Our LO is on lactulose to avoid constipation (reflux baby).  He gets 2.5mls in the morning and afternoons.  It is sugar based as far as I know :-\ ... one of the other moms that use it may know for sure.  I know nothing about corn syrup or karo syrup, but lactulose works by pulling water into the bowel, which helps makes your LOs stools softer and easier to pass.   :-X
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/meds/a682338.html  :)


Offline Nauvoo

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Re: Constipated baby
« Reply #7 on: August 26, 2009, 23:08:55 pm »
I have been giving my lo corn syrup in her bottles for some time now.  Our pediatrician recommended it (a tablespoon for every ounce with seemed like a lot to me) and brown sugar, however I never used the sugar just the syrup.  He mentioned something about absorption in the digestive track????  IT WORKS!!!!  She is 7 months now and eats about 6 oz every 4 hours with about 1 or 2 teaspoons in each bottle.  I've had other friends who have used corn syrup as well and have had success.  Light or dark doesn't matter.  They both work.
« Last Edit: August 27, 2009, 14:10:20 pm by nauvoo06 »
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Offline troublechick

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Re: Constipated baby
« Reply #8 on: August 31, 2009, 22:03:58 pm »
Ok it was lactulose syrup as Rileysmum mentioned, not lactose (pediatrician explained whats the difference-lactulose is like celulose, it's not absorbed by our body, so it can't do nothing bad like sugar) and we need to give him 10ml per day for two weeks, after that control.. It works wonders I can say, his poop looks like first month it's not green anymore.:) :)

Offline Rileysmum

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Re: Constipated baby
« Reply #9 on: September 01, 2009, 03:08:48 am »
Yay! It's great that the paed was able to help you work it out.  :)


Offline Sinfulia

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Re: Constipated baby
« Reply #10 on: September 13, 2009, 00:40:34 am »
We're on Lactulose as well.  2.5ml with Breakfast, 3.5ml with Dinner (just started lunch yesterday).  LO is 7 months.  Everything was going well until we re-introduced cereals again.  Some history...

The first time we did cereal, LO was bunged for 4 days!  Then things cleared and the pediatrician insisted we go back on cereal.  Then she was bunged for 5 days and crying alot and vomiting as well!  Finally we had to use glycerin suppositories.  That's also when we started the Lactulose.  Once things were moving again for 2 weeks, I added cereal back in (only 2 tbsps per day).  And now we're having issues again (sigh). 

I think my LO just has a really rough time with the iron fortified cereals.  I'm thinking of giving up on them altogether and going straight to meat/tofu.  I'm not sure if it will be any better, but I'm hopeful.  Just worried about her getting enough iron intake, but I think the constipation is a bigger issue right now.

Offline Mum to Ella Rose

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Re: Constipated baby
« Reply #11 on: September 13, 2009, 01:07:31 am »
hugs. we deal with major constipation too. fwiw I think meat, tofu, etc is a great idea. I know where I am now they recommend starting on it. :)
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Offline Hannah'sMom

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Re: Constipated baby
« Reply #12 on: October 11, 2009, 03:29:10 am »
At 5 months my DD was really badly constipated as well.  The doctor told me to give her half pureed prunes and half cereal.  The doc said that even though she was 5 months it was better for her to be regular and not in pain when she pushed.   He said that prunes have the highest amount of sugar which will get the bowels moving.
She is now 8 months and she still gets prunes and cereal for breakfast.  I gave her different fruits for lunch and dinner.   The prunes worked great.
« Last Edit: October 11, 2009, 03:31:40 am by Hannah'sMom »